Wednesday, February 27, 2008

For those of you who live in warmer climates....goodie for you. It's still colder than blue blazes here in Area 52.

My diet was going great, but my scales seem to be stuck on 212 for some reason.

I have my tickets purchased to head for Texas to visit my bro over spring break. I am going by Amtrak this time...not Grayhound. I think I would stay home if that was the only choice I had.

I still don't have all my Christmas decorations put away. They are gathered by the back door, but the weather hasn't been good enough for me to want to spend the time trapsing back and forth to the garage to put them away.

We only have about 12 weeks of school left.

One of my former students, a guy who finally quit school at 16, ended up in reform school for a while, stopped by and shoveled me out the other day.

My new grandbaby inutero is progressing nicely and is beginning to round out his mommie's tummy.

My son finally gave up his second job. He has complained about it for years. I'm proud of him.

Prof and Kiddo seem to be surviving out there in the middleofnowheremontana. Glad it's them and not me in those "way negative" wind chills.

It's been 5 months and counting since losing Tilly, and I am still surviving. Damn I miss her!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

God, it's cold. It has snowed off and on all the live long day. A while ago I looked out across the parking lot and it was snowing to beat the band. Now, the evening sun is out, and the snowfall looks all shades of blue. And everything looks so clean and pristine. But, it's still cold. I used to love winter, but I have come to loathe it now. I can't seem to get warm and stay warm. The only time I am truly warm is under my electric blanket turned up on 4 or 5. I get home from work, fix myself some supper and I just don't want to get back out and do anything else. I am so looking forward to spring. I have a kazillion things I want to do outside. I am going to tear out some bushes, cut down two trees and strip the lattice off my porch. I want new flowers, and am going to move some of my perinnials into different locations. I plan all of this, but probably won't do it all. I do this every year when I get blue and the winter doldrums set in. My students are tired of winter. They're tired of being cooped up inside and want for warmer weather, too. I think all of our minds are effected by the weather. The people I teach with are tired of the snow, slush, and cold, too. As the days lengthen, I am encouraged that winter can't last much longer, and that spring has to be just around the corner. I am ready. I even heard the song of a cardinal the other day. I couldn't spot him, but I could hear him. I am hopeful. 2008 has to be a good year.Peace...JE

Favorite work of art:Diego Valezquez’s style is fantastic. Remmington’s western paintings are wonderful. I visited an art museum in Ft. Worth that had many of his original works. They are a sight to behold.

Dream Vacation:I would like to be able to spend as much time as I wanted in Key West walking on the warm sand and watching the sunsets. Also, I want to see the upper Rockie Mts. Sometime. Maybe possible this summer. Key West is only a dream!

Favorite historical character:Robin Hood…He was my kind of guy. Robbing from the rich was wrong, but because he helped out the poor, I can forgive him for that. He got the good looking woman in the end, too.

Favorite food:Steak, sweet potatoes, Peg’s “belly stickers.”

Favorite pie:Wick's Sugar Cream Pie, or dutch apple

Favorite flower:Just plain old lilacs

Left or right?write righty, do everything else lefty.

Bottom or top?If this means sex, I’ll take either, depends on the mood. I LOVE both, if memory serves me correctly.

Biggest frustrations:Lack of money when things are tight and not being able to help my kids out when they need it the most.

Any happy moment(s):Not lately, but I did chuckle watching “Will and Grace” the other night. I love a good joke, and hearing my kids at school actually learning something is sheer joy. Oh, and you should see my daughter-in-law since she found out she is expecting. Radiant!

Do you take vitamins?Yes, when I remember to do so.

Most frustrating technical equipment:The damn remote that goes with my new vcr/dvd player. I have better luck just doing it by hand. I sometimes trip the breaker when I use my electric skillet and the microwave at the same time. Of course, there’s always this damn computer which is a POS.

Where do you put spare change?I have an antique “Whitman’s Sampler” tin that is way old, and I don’t know where it came from, about half full of pennies. The rest is spent right out of my pocket.

Favorite song right now:I still love “Just to feel your love” by Garth Brooks from the “Hope Floats” soundtrack. And probably my all time fav is “Someone to Watch Over Me.” Especially the version from “Mr. Holland’s Opus.”

Last stupid thing you did:Well, I went out for dinner with three good looking, much younger, women, two of them single, let them talk me into too much to drink, and probably said stuff that made me look like an old man trying to be young. What the “F__K” was I thinking!

Who/ What is on your wall calendar?In the laundry room I have a scenic calander from my friend Lynn’s insurance office. At school I have whatever calander Pepsi Cola gave each room.

What are you doing this weekend?Today we have no school, due to “midwinter break” so I am having lunch with my friend Cheryl. Tonight I am going out to dinner with my friends Lynn and Karen. Tomorrow I plan a trip to Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, Starbuck’s and a stop at either Steve and Barrys, or Old Navy (whoever has the best sales.) Sunday, I will go to church, and the rest of the day I had better do the household crap that accumulates while I am out having fun. No school on Monday either, so I forsee sleeping in and doing whatever comes along.

Most unusual gift?A hand carved diamond willow walking stick in the carving style of the Absarokee tribe. I love it and use it often during this crappy weather we have been having. This was a Christmas gift from Prof who wanted me to have something typical of Montana. Little did she know how much I would use it.

Alcoholic beverage:Like Prof, the best one is a free one, but I especially like Sam Adams Dark Lager, Coors Silver Bullet, Cutty Sark on the rocks with a lemon twist, and a good margarita on the rocks, with salted rim.

Favorite blog to read:Of course, my fav is Babble from Babbler, that goes without saying, but I like many. I miss Redneck Nerdboy and his humor. All in favor of him starting to write again, raise their hands!

Favorite article of clothing:Oh wow! Do I even have a favorite. Well, yeah, and I guess it’s a long sleeved navy blue tee shirt from WalMart. It has been worn and washed so many times that the neck band is frayed and it isn’t navy anymore but sort of a mottled blueish yuck color…but it goes good on a day off teamed with my favorite old faded baggy jeans from Dollar General. Yes, I do have nicer jeans, these are just my favorites. Isn’t that what the header said “favorite”.

Song you're listening to right now:No music on, no noise on, just the clatter of my PC keyboard and the sound of heat rushing through the furnace ducts. Maybe the fridge is running, too.

Interesting thing that happened to you today:Not a damn thing. Only been up an hour or so. Oh I did take a shower and put on clean clothes.

Speeding ticket?Never…knock on wood.

Guilty pleasure:Chocolate. I should cut back on the intake…going to be very hard, but did you know chocolate has masses of caffeine? I did, but I didn’t care.

What's one thing you wish you could do (talent/ hobby) that you can't?Play a sport. I have always been so very non-jock. I always envied my brother the classic “could play every sport, and did” athlete. I can play pool fairly well, or used to be able to.

Last movie watched in a theater:Charlie Wilson's War or National Treasure 2... Prof and I saw these at Christmas but I cannot remember the order we watched...

Last email received:From my cousin Rita who works for the FBI.

Last kiss:It involved 5 Hershey thingys given to me by my boss, Bev, at transit.

Who did you see in concert last:Way,way back, Tilly and I went to see the “Oakridge Boys.”

Favorite Color:RED

Cell phone:Yes- a trackphone, which reminds me, I am about out of minutes. Gotta stop at Walgreen’s and buy a 60 minute card.

Coffee:HELL YES! I have switched to DeCaf after the first cup of regular, but I still love the taste. I am searching for the perfect DeCaf beans to use in my grinder. This doesn’t mean that I am going to order DeCaf when I go to Starbucks. None of that “sissy” shit there. I want the real thing.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Very Sir Lord James the Assiduous of Tempting St Mary

Yep! This is my Royal title, according to the whomever! Right now, I don't think even St. Mary would be very tempted, however, she did marry a much older gent if memory serves me correctly. So maybe there is still hope for me.Peace.....JE

Who I Am

Hello! I'm Jim. I am retired from the middle school classroom. I'm a widower. I am now in the process of trying to find out just who I am as a single person. It's been quite a journey and not over yet!
I am the proud father of two great adult children who have brought me much joy. Now I am enjoying being a grandfather. I love to sing, and do so quite often in my church choir and a mens gospel quartet.
I love to shop, eat, read and craft. My best friend Curley is also an avid crafter, and together we have quite a time. Life offers lots of opportunities, and I look forward to each day to see what is in store for me. Let me hear from you readers. Your comments make my day brighter!!